There is a Middle Eastern restaurant not too far from where I live that makes Shakshouka so delicious that I literally dream about it. Ever since I first tried it, I haven't been able to get the flavors out of my head: the tender zucchini sauteed with onions and herbs and feta, served with rice...heavenly.
Recently I went to the restaurant for lunch because I was craving this dish so badly only to discover that they don't serve Shakshouka at lunch. That's when I discovered that I needed to learn to make it myself. I read lots of recipes and discovered that there as many ways to make this dish as there are people who make it. I tinkered and think I hit on a method that's even better than what is served at the restaurant. If you make Shakshouka at home, I'd love to know how you do it.
My girls devoured this. Both are crazy about feta so they instantly loved it. Wallie especially loved the way the silky egg yolk mixed with the squash and tomatoes. Hope your kids like it, too!
SHAKSHOUKA
I used tomatoes and herbs from my garden. All the other ingredients were local except for the feta. Serve with rice pilaf or warmed pita bread. Simple yet so delicious.
- extra-virgin olive oil
- 4-5 cloves of garlic (less if you don't adore garlic like I do)
- 2 sweet onions, halved and sliced
- 3 Korean squash (paler and more gourd-like than Italian zucchini), cut lengthwise then chopped into half moons (zucchini is a fine substitute)
- 3 tomatoes, quartered (more if you want it more tomatoey)
- 1 sprig of fresh oregano, leaves chopped
- 4 eggs
- 4 ounces of good-quality feta, crumbled
- 8-10 basil leaves, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Heat a large saute pan (with lid) over medium heat, pour in a generous amount of olive oil (at least 4-5 glugs or tbsps). Add garlic and onions and saute for about 5 minutes until onions are soft and garlic is golden. Add in zucchini and tomatoes. Stir, then cover and let zucchini and tomatoes cook down, about 15 minutes. Stir occassionally and lower heat if needed. Add in oregano and salt and pepper to taste. make four little wells in the shakshouka and crack an egg into each. Sprinkle liberally with feta and cover for 5 more minutes until eggs are just set and feta is melted. Remove from heat, sprinkle with basil and serve at once. Serves four.
Shakshouka dished up in my bowl ready to be eaten!
